Jones County ballot complete for elections

Tuesday

Mar 13, 2018 at 12:08 PMMar 13, 2018 at 3:20 PM

Dustin George Staff Writer, The Free Press

Jones County voters will have a short ballot with which to select from in the May 2018 primary election.

Only two of seven county commissioner races will need runoffs this year as Vernon Lee Harris and Joe Wiggins, both Democrats, filed for the Jones County Board of Commissioners District 7 seat and James Darnell Harper and Robert Todd Meadows, both Democrats, filed for the Board of Commissioners District 2 race.

The winners of those contests will see their names on the November 2018 general election ballots. Whoever wins the District 7 runoff will run against Charles Demont Gray Jr., a Republican, for the Board of Commissioners District 7 seat.

Voters will also decide between Republican candidates in U.S. House of Representatives District 3 between incumbent Walter B. Jones of Farmville and challengers Phil Law, formerly of Jacksonville and now residing in Raleigh, and Scott Dacey of New Bern.

The winner of that race will appear unopposed on the November ballot.

The final race on the May ballot is for N.C. House of Representatives District 13 between Republican candidates Patricia McElraft of Emerald Isle and Blade Beadle of Morehead City. The winner of that race will run against Democratic candidate Charlie Deaton in November.

Later this year, voters will have a longer ballot to vote on in the Nov. 6 general election.

That ballot features a number of uncontested races for Jones County Sheriff, with only incumbent candidate Danny Heath appearing on the ballot; incumbent Chris Henderson is again running for Clerk of Superior Court; Frank Emory for Board of Commissioners District 5; Sondra Ipock-Riggs for Board of Commissioners District 4; and Ernie Lee for District Attorney.

Five commissioner races will be decided in November. Mike Haddock, a Democrat will run against an unaffiliated Harvey Lee Rouse Jr. for Commissioner District. 6; April Philyaw Aycock, a Republican, will run against Zack Koonce, a Democrat, for Commissioner District 3; Charlie Dunn Jr., a Democrat, will run against Kyle Koonce, a Republican, for Commissioner District 1.

Myron P. Meadows, Debbie Philjaw, Angela Wilson, Jenny Davidson, Barry Jones and Larry Walston will all appear as candidates for the Jones County Board of Education.

The November ballot will also include a race for N.C. Senate between Harry Brown, a Republican, and Joseph Webb, a Democrat.